Motor drive for cameras



Oct. 28, 1952 J, L, WESTHAVER 2,615,347

MOTOR DRIVE FOR CAMERAS Filed Jan. 20, 1950 ,iLr 36; I; Z

my 5 as INVENTOR. 'JOHN L. War/mm? Patented Oct. 28, 1952 UNITED STATES v PATENT O MOTOR DRIVE FOR CAMERAS John L. Westhaver, San Diego, Calif; 7 Application January 20, 195o;; sria1 N6. 139,677

This invention relates to a motor drive for cameras, and the like, and .has for one of its v objects the production of a simple and efficient means for absorbing shock for a quick starting camera operating motor.

' A further object of this invention is the-production of a simple and eflicient means for auto-.

matically releasing the driven gear from the driving gear of a motor when a manually controlled retaining means is released. 1 Another object of the present invention is the production of a self-adjusting andadapting drive I shaft to facilitate the fitting of the drive mechan:

shaft l8, and is movable toward'and away from the drive gear I'll "The gears I1 and 26 are beveled gears, as shown in Figure 2. The driven gear 26 is provided with a protruding drive rod 21 which extends longitudinally and parallel to the drive shaft I8. As stated above one end of the tapering spiral expansionspring 24 is anchored to the collar- 23, which collar 23 is fixed to the drive shaft l8. The opposite end of the spring 24 is anchored within the outer extremity of'the drive rod 21 and this spring 24 is adapted to "automatically force the driven gear 26 out of meshing engagement with the drive gear ll, when the lock pin 28 is released therefrom. The drivengear 26 carries a steel annular collar 29 against the side face of-which the spring pressed lock pin 28 is adapted to abutto hold the driven gear 26 Figure 1 is a perspective view of the camera.

,motor drive means;

. Figure 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional 7 line 4--4 of Figure 2; I

Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the camera drive shaft. a portion thereof being shown in elevation.

By referring to the drawing in detail it will be seen that H) designates the motor casing which is provided with a suitable electrical connection '3 H; and a control switch I2. The motor casing carries a conventional electric motor and reduc-' tion gear and is supportedv upon a gear housing |3. The gear housing I3 is attached to a hanger motor bracket M, which in turn is secured to the attaching slide for the motor bracket l5 by a motor holder screw l6.

A driving gear I! is driven by the motor within the casing I0 and is mounted within the housing l3, as shown in Figure 2. A horizontal drive. shaft I8 is journalled at one end in the housing I3, as at l9, and is journalled at its opposite'end in the ball-bearing journal ring 20 which is carried by the end bearing plug 2| of the housing A collar 23 is fixed to the shaft I 9 and one end of the spiral expansion tension spring 24 is anchored to the v collar 23, as at 25. '5.

A sliding driven ear 25 in the nature or clutch gear is slidable longitudinally of the drive The bearing plug 2| is anchored in position??- by means of the anchoring screw 22.

in mesh with the drive gear ll. of the lock pin 28 when retracted in the direction of the arrow shown in Figure 3 will ride upon the periphery of the collar 29 as the shock-fabsorbing spring 24 expands to shift the gear 26 out of mesh with the gear l1. When it is desired to drive the'shaft ill, the plunger 30, which is slidably mounted through the housing I3 and which frictionally abuts the rear of the gear 26, is moved inwardly. This plunger 30 is not connected to the gear and i freely slidable throughthe housing l3.

The-drive shaft I8 is provided with a longitudinally extendinghollow portion or socket 31. A loosely connected longitudinally extending drive rod 32 is fitted in the socket 3| and is loosely connected at its inner end 33 within the socket 3| by means of the transversely extending actuating pin 34. The pin 34extends through the shaft l8 and projects beyond the opposite sides thereof for a sufiicient distance-to'abut the abutment rod 21 of the gear 26, as the gear 26 is rotated by the drive gear IT, to impart rotary movement to the drive shaft I8. The shaft |8 is provided with a terminal 35 for engagement with an operating hand crank for optional manual operation of the shaft l8. A fork-shaped terminal 36 is formed upon the outer end of the drive rod 32 engaging the camera drive. 1

It should be noted that the expansion spring 24 constitutes an initial spring drive for the drive shaft [8 and serves to exert a slight pressure against the driven gear 26, so as to cause this gear-26 to slide out of engagement with the drive gear II, when the spring pressed lock pin 28 is pulled away from engagement with the rear face of the'collar 29. The spring 24 acts as a. shock absorber for the quick-starting motor which am-- The inner end fl t 2,615,347

. 3 tuates the drive gear 11, so as to allow the camera to start without a shock to the driving mechanism thereof. The spring 24 should be just stifi enough to cause the camera to start with about one-half turn of the shaft [8. At the end of the half turn, the drive pin 34 abuts the abutment rod 21 to provide a solid drive between the driven gear 26, the drive shaft [8, and the actuating mechanism for the camera to whichthe shaft it} is attached. i The loosely. connected drive rod 32, because of its connection with the drive shaft I8,

driving mechanism of the camera, therebyavoide;

ing the necessity of exact or minute alignment of the shaft l8'with the camera drivingmecha-'- nism. The spring pressed lock pin 2 8 is retracted to the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 3,

the expansion spring 24 will slide the driven gear 26 out of meshing engagement with the drive gear 17. At this timethe inner end-ofthe. lock pin: 2 8- will' ride upon the periphery of i the collar 29. 1 Theggear 26 may bepushed into engagement with the'gear ll by means of theplungerSB when itisdesired to render the shaft l81active.

Itshould be understood; that certain detail changes-in the mechanical constructionand arrangementof partsmay beemployed without departing from the vspirit of the inventionso long as such changes fall withinthe scopeof -the;ap1- pendedclaims; Havingdescribed the asynewjsi; F I 1.1.: A a drive ;,rneans forcameras comprisinga drive-gear,- a camera drive shaft, a driven; gear longitudinally movableupon; said camerajdrive i shaft in substantial parallel relation to said shaft, the spring constituting a shock absorbing means between the shaft and driven gear at the time of the initial starting of the rotation of said shaft, a releasable locking means mounted in a position to engage said driven gear and to hold the driving gear, said spring being adapted to automatically move said driven gear to an inoperative position out of meshing engagement with said, driv when fsa id locking means is released," ans for movingsaid driven'gear into engagement with said drive gear, and a trans- "verse pin carried by said shaft and adapted to engagesaid abutment member in delayed timed relation with the starting of the drive gear for positively driving said driven gear.

invention, what is claimed shaft-intoandout of tengagementwith said drive gear; a;- yieldable means connecting'said driven gear to said i drive shaft and constituting: an initial-shock absorber-upon the initialstartin'g of therotatio-n: of said; shaft, a 'slidable plunger engagingsaid. driven gear; to. move :saidvdriven gearinto: meshing 'engagement vviii-hqsaidv drive gear, :s'aid;;yieldablemeans being expansiblee and adaptedi'to shift saiddriven, gear .to an inoperatlVG'TPOSltlOlI, and "a releasable lock forholding saidcdriven gear.- inran' operative position for-con tact with said drive a gear against the .expa'nsible action of said yieldable means. 7 2'. A driving mechanisrnof the "class described comprising drivegear, a'drive shaft, awdriven gear. slidable upon said drive shaft into "and "out of me'shingcontact with saidxdrive 'ge'ar; an expansion" coil spring loosely fitting around said shaftiandanchored atone end to said shaft; an abutment memben protruding from said 'drive'n shaft substantial'parallel' relation to said shaft,-; the spring constituting a shock absorbing means between the shaft and driven gearat the time-of theinitial starting of the rotation of said shaft, 2; releasable'locking means mounted in a position to' engage said driven gear and to hold the 'driving gear, said spring being .adaptedto automatically move saiddriven gear-toan inop 'erative position out off meshing engagement with said drive gear when said locking means is released, andmeans for moving said' driven-gear into engagement with said drive gear.

13: ;A driving mechanism of thecla'ss described comprising a drive gear, a drive'shaft, .a. driven 1 driyingmech-anism of the class described comprising a drive gear, a drive shaft, a driven gear slidable upon said drive shaft into and out of meshing contact with said drive gear, an expansion coiispringloosely fitting around said shaf-tandianchored at oneendto said shaft; an abutment; member, protruding :from said driven shaft. in,subrstantialxparallel; relation ,to said shaft, the spring constitutingia shock absorbing means .,-bet ween the -shaft and drivengear at .the time of-the.initialrstarting of the IOtfiitlOIlzOf said shaft;--,-a releasable-,spri-ng ;-pressed loclr,.,;pin mounted auposition to engage; said driven gear and to hold the.v driving ;gear,-,said'spring-being adapted to automatically :move said driven gear to an inoperative position outof meshing engagemer t; :withy'saidv drive; gear .xwhen, .said locking means is released,means for. moving said driven gear into-,engagementuwith;said;drive gear, and a transverse pin carriedi bysaid shaft and adapted to engage said abutment member in delayed timed relation with the startingqof: the drive gear for positively driving said driven gear.

5. A driving mechanism comprising a drive gear, a driveshaf-t driven by said drive geaiysaid shaft having-1a hollowportion, a. loosely fitting lon itudinally extending .drive :rodvpivoted in said hollow portion and having a protruding end,isaid shaft having a: crank engaging end,;the protrud- 5; JOHN. L; vvssrrmvsa.

, niijriinnnonscrrnn The: following references ar or ecord in the file 0f; this pate t:-;;'- ,1 flINi FDBTA E Pi 

